saddling, look over this letter.
That was a gallant attempt of Clairfait's, and, if we had not been too far
off to support him, we might have pounced upon the main body as
effectually as he did upon the rear. Chazot has escaped, but one of M.
Dumourier's aides-de-camp, a remarkably intelligent fellow, has been taken,
and on him has been found the papers which I beg you to peruse."

It was a letter from the commander-in-chief to the _Bureau de la Guerre_
in Paris.

"MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE,--I write this, after having been on horseback for
eighteen hours. We must have reinforcements without a moment's delay, or
we are lost--the honour of France is lost--France herself is lost. I have
with me less than 20,000 men to defend the road to Paris against 100,000.
The truth must be told--truth becomes a citizen. We have been beaten! I
have been unable to hold the passes of Argonne, and the enemy's hussars
are already scouring the country in my rear. I have sent order upon order
to Kellerman, and all my answer is, that he is preparing to advance; but
he has not stirred a step. I daresay, that he is playing trictrac at Metz
this moment.

"My march from the Argonne has been a bold manoeuvre, but it has cost us
something. Chazot, to whom I entrusted the protection of the march, and to
whom I had given the strictest orders to keep the enemy's light troops at
a distance, has suffered himself to be entrapped by those experienced
campaigners, and has lost men. Duval fought bravely at the head of his
brigade, and Miranda narrowly escaped being taken, in a dashing attempt to
save the park of artillery. He had a horse killed under him, and was taken
from the field insensible. Macdonald, who takes this, will explain more.
He is a promising officer--give him a step. In the mean time, send me
every man that you can. _France is in danger_."

"The object now," observed the duke, "will be, to press upon the enemy in
his present state of disorder, until we shall either be enabled to force
him to fight a pitched battle at a disadvantage, or strike in between him
and the capital. And now forward!"

I mounted, and we rode through the camp--the duke occasionally giving some
order for the morning to the officers commanding the successive divisions,
and conversing with me on the points in discussion between England and the
Allies. He was evidently dissatisfied with continental politics.

"The king and the emperor are both sincere; but that is more t